Transparently achieving auto-guidance of a mobile machine

Abstract

A path of travel used by an autopilot operation system for auto-guidance of a mobile machine is defined, transparently to a human operator, in response to the human operator engaging and disengaging operation of an implement coupled with the mobile machine. The auto-guidance of the mobile machine is activated, transparently to the human operator, in response to the human operator engaging the implement a second time.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a processor of an autopilot operation system, the method comprising:
 in response to a human operator engaging and disengaging operation of an implement coupled with a mobile machine, defining, transparently to the human operator, a first path of travel of the mobile machine having at least two points, wherein the at least two points are defined based on the engaging and the disengaging operation of the implement; 
 in response to the human operator engaging operation of the implement a second time, offering activation of an auto-guidance of the mobile machine to the human operator; and 
 in response to receiving an acceptance of the offering:
 determining a second path of travel that is offset at a fixed distance substantially parallel to the first path of travel; and 
 activating the auto-guidance by causing movement of the mobile machine along the second path of travel. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 automatically rejecting the offering if acceptance of the offering is not received with a threshold of time. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of by  claim 1 , wherein:
 engaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a first switch input that is a first actuating of a single switch; and 
 disengaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a second switch input that is a second actuating of the single switch. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of by  claim 1 , wherein:
 engaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a first switch input when a first switch is actuated; and 
 disengaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a second switch input when a second switch is actuated. 
 
     
     
       5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 in response to a human operator engaging and disengaging operation of an implement coupled with a mobile machine, defining, transparently to the human operator, a first path of travel of the mobile machine having at least two points, wherein the at least two points are defined based on the engaging and the disengaging operation of the implement; 
 in response to the human operator engaging operation of the implement a second time, offering activation of an auto-guidance of the mobile machine to the human operator; and 
 in response to receiving an acceptance of the offering:
 determining a second path of travel that is offset at a fixed distance substantially parallel to the first path of travel; and 
 activating the auto-guidance by causing movement of the mobile machine along the second path of travel. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 automatically rejecting the offering if acceptance of the offering is not received with a threshold of time. 
 
     
     
       7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein:
 engaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a first switch input when a single switch is actuated; and 
 disengaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a second switch input when the single switch is actuated a second time. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein:
 engaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a first switch input when a first switch is actuated; and 
 disengaging operation of the implement further comprises receiving a second switch input when a second switch is actuated. 
 
     
     
       9. An autopilot operation system comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 in response to a human operator engaging and disengaging operation of an implement coupled with a mobile machine, defining, transparently to the human operator, a first path of travel of the mobile machine having at least two points, wherein the at least two points are defined based on the engaging and the disengaging operation of the implement; 
 in response to the human operator engaging operation of the implement a second time, offering activation of an auto-guidance of the mobile machine to the human operator; and 
 in response to receiving an acceptance of the offering:
 determining a second path of travel that is offset at a fixed distance substantially parallel to the first path of travel; and 
 activating the auto-guidance by causing movement of the mobile machine along the second path of travel. 
 
 
 
     
     
       10. The autopilot operation system of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 automatically rejecting the offering to activate the auto-guidance if acceptance of the offering is not received with a threshold of time. 
 
     
     
       11. The autopilot operation system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 at least one switch that generates signals to engage and disengage the auto-guidance. 
 
     
     
       12. The autopilot operation system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 at least one switch that generates signals to engage and disengage the auto-guidance; and 
 a signal-to-can-message-translation-logic that translates signals from the at least one switch into Controller Area Network (CAN) messages that are delivered to the autopilot operation system over a CAN bus of the mobile machine. 
 
     
     
       13. The autopilot operation system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 at least one visual indicator of a status of the autopilot operation system that performs the auto-guidance of the mobile machine. 
 
     
     
       14. The autopilot operation system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 at least one audio indicator of a status of the autopilot operation system that performs the auto-guidance of the mobile machine. 
 
     
     
       15. The autopilot operation system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a retroactively mounted monitor implement operation switch that provides a signal indicating a status of the autopilot operation system.